


Keese The Girl

by unlockthelore



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Inspired by Art, Misunderstandings, Post-Canon, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:48:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26007508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unlockthelore/pseuds/unlockthelore
Summary: After a long day, Zelda wanted to relax by trying a new alchemical concoction, and Link's help while invaluable - missed the mark just a bit.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 161





	Keese The Girl

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [this wonderful artwork](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/669658) by arystocracys on Twitter. 



**Keese The Girl**

Zelda listened to Link’s enthusiastic humming and the shifting rocks beneath his boots as he subtly danced in a shuffle behind her. Although she rathered him to walk alongside her rather than behind, permitting him the extra space allowed for an incredibly adorable display. Their recent trip to Zora’s Domain concluded with festivities held by Prince Sidon and the music left a lasting impact on the Hero of Hyrule. 

The corner of her lips twitched upward as she thought back to Link dancing along with some of the youth, his bare feet splashing about in the pools as they swam around him. Wide bright blue eyes illuminated by the luminous stones fixated on her, matched with a smile that could have rivaled the sun. She disagreed, of course. Etiquette demanded a certain amount of decorum but Link and many of the Zora children wouldn’t hear it. To say Sidon wasn’t bowled over with laughter at seeing her drenched and swinging about with Link was an understatement. 

She could hardly get a word out of him edgewise without a chuckle or two. 

Zelda peeked over her shoulder in time to see Link kick a rock with a sweeping sideways slide. Her hand covered her mouth, trembling at his stricken expression when it went ricocheting off the cavern’s walls and the glittering luminous stones with a loud clatter. Carefully, and with the look of a child prepared to be scolded, he looked toward her then flashed a sheepish smile. 

“ _Be_ careful,” she scolded playfully, gesturing to the stalagmites overhead. 

He rolled his eyes upward, a hand perched on his hip as he snapped the fingers of the opposite, pointing to the Sheikah Slate clipped to her belt. Zelda scoffed at his cheeky smile and shoved his shoulder with the side of her forearm when he jogged to her side. 

They walked beneath a natural arch into a spacious opening only partially lit by a jagged luminous stone protruding from the rugged wall. Link bumped her shoulder lightly and Zelda cast a curious look at him until he pointed over their heads. Her eyes widened and the lantern in hand lowered to her side, allowing her to see the smaller luminous stones embedded in the arch’s sediment. They glittered like stars and matched the archway from where they entered the tunnel. She and Link stood beneath it, gazing up at the sight for a while longer. 

“I suppose that confirms the rumor,” Link murmured breathlessly. Zelda hummed in agreement. Enjoyment at rubbing their achievement in the face of the treasure hunting duo, Domidak and Prissen, was outweighed by the sheer beauty. A distant voice which sounded too much like Purah told her taking a _picture_ would make the moment last longer. Unclipping the Sheikah Slate from her belt, Zelda tapped at the screen then looked up to Link, her smile falling as awe replaced her cheer. 

The stone’s glow cut sharp shadows across Link’s features, outlining a strong jaw bisected by a fading scar. An uneven fringe falling into blue eyes glowing with the light reflected in them. His expression, youthful and distant, was unlike the silly swordsman who journeyed at her side or the stalwart champion he’d been. Physically, they were as they had, but fate had pushed them to be something entirely other. Moments where she could see this side of Link were precious. Glancing down at the waiting Sheikah Slate, Zelda carefully held it up and zoomed out as appropriate, snapping a picture. The trance broke once the shutter closed and Link looked at her bewildered, sandy-brown locks shifted as he inclined his head reminding her of a Hylian Retriever.

Zelda smiled. “It’s nothing, I wanted to take a picture of _this_ ,” she lied, gesturing above their heads.

Link blinked at her a few times then shrugged. “Show it to me later?” He waved a hand over his shoulder, a flourish of his cape behind him as he turned and walked on. 

Zelda agreed with a hum, then snapped two quick photos of the archway before hurrying after him. They decided to set up camp in the cave for the time being then backtrack in the morning. Time kept meticulously on their Sheikah Slate with an alarm set, much to Zelda’s chagrin when Link glanced her way as he set another on his own. She preferred the ‘snooze’ button option but he had no interest in complying with her desire to sleep in. Well enough, while she did enjoy nature, she preferred the soft comfort of their shared bed in Hateno. Tasks were split between them with the tent and bedding set up by Link while Zelda went over the ingredients she needed. 

Fancying himself to be a joker, Link protectively shielded the food items he’d found for their dinner as she approached the cookpot. Her cooking skills were dreadfully abysmal and she flicked his nose for reminding her, stifling a giggle behind her hand when his eyes crossed for a second. Nose wiggling before he batted her hand away, jogging over to the tent posts to ensure they were embedded firmly in the packed earth. 

The Sheikah Slate was left open beside Zelda’s bent knees as she labored over the pot. In no time, a bubbling sanguine concoction was dredged to life as she flicked through her meticulous notes and tossed one thing after another inside. A spicy scent wafted up from the pot, singeing her nose hairs much to her delight. A potion to stave off the cold wouldn’t be effective if it didn’t heat the body after all. She tapped the Sheikah Slate’s dull screen to life with a knuckle, adjusting the tie on her hood as the heat accumulated.

Reading over the recipe once more, her brows furrowed, lips pulled to one side. That was odd. She was sure that she gathered everything she needed. Lizalfos Tail, Bokoblin Horn, Moblin Guts, a Summerwing Butterfly, and a Sunshroom to mask the taste — but she was missing something. Her gaze flicked between the screen and the pot a few times until it came to mind. 

A light rap of her knuckles to her temple as she sighed at her own forgetfulness. “Link? Can you come over here, please?” She didn’t need to look up to tell when he was close to her. His strident footsteps resounded off the walls and ended in a sliding plop by her side. “Sorry, I just needed a keese —” 

Zelda’s eyes widened at the light touch to her cheek, effectively cutting off her request mid-word. A warm and soft pressure against her skin ending in a satisfied smack of the lips. Her head slowly turned to where she almost met Link nose to nose. His smile crooked and thumb jutted up, seeming pleased with himself and wholly believing he’d done as she asked. Grateful for the heat of the elixir to hide the blush that crept to her face, Zelda murmured, “... Wing.”

Link’s smile fell, and she could make out the beginnings of sweat forming on his brow. 

“A _keese_ wing,” Zelda clarified, stressing the word for emphasis. Her hands suspended at her chest, fingers awkwardly curled then held out as she gestured to the bubbling iron pot. “For the elixir?”

The air was quiet between them and the longer Link sat there, the redder his face seemed. His gaze never left the pot even as one of the bubbles drifting up from its brew popped just shy of the tip of his nose. 

“...Link?”

His eye twitched a bit. Zelda’s humor bled into concerned sympathy as she laid her hand on his shoulder. Even the tips of his ears were beginning to redden. 

“Are you alright?” She asked, squeezing his shoulder gently. Seconds ticked away quietly, stretching into what felt like an eternity only interrupted by the gentle popping of the elixir. Link’s downcast eyes shuttered and his shoulders hunched, revealing yet another look Zelda had come to admire. Her heart stammered in its beating as she held him firmly by the shoulder. 

“It’s okay, Link! I didn’t mind at all,” she assured, offering a reassuring smile when he glanced up and blinked in skepticism. “... Although, keese and kiss _are_ phonetically different.”

His nose scrunched at that, arms folded loosely over his chest. Zelda sighed. She had to admit that his eagerness to kiss her was a bit cute, and after such a display, how could she deny him?

“Let’s try again, shall we?” She suggested, opening her palm before him. “ _Keese_ wing?”

Link eyed her then lowered his gaze as he shuffled about in his seemingly endless pockets, pulling out the aforementioned wing, reddened along the vertebrae and all. Zelda ignored the spark between their fingers as they brushed. 

“Thank you.”

She tossed the wing into the boiling brew where it sank out of their sights. A sidelong glance at Link let her catch his intent stare on the wing as if he wanted nothing more than to sink into the concoction as well. 

Too bad for him, she preferred him just as he was. 

“Now then,” Zelda cleared her throat then set her hands in her lap, her smile soft and somewhat shy. “Kiss me?”

Link’s eyes widened, then lit up, an adorable almost dopey look on his face. Then without hesitation, he pulled out another keese wing from his bag and Zelda sputtered out a laugh to which he joined promptly after.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic in the Legend of Zelda fandom, and I'm happy to say that it was inspired by wonderful artwork made by arystocracys on Twitter! It was cute, made me laugh, and if you have the time please take a gander at it.
> 
> As for writerly inclinations, all I can tell you is that I love Breath of the Wild and I headcanon these two as dorks. Zelda being a bit of a nerd while Link is a silly jokester because how I play him in game, he's kind of like that. A side note, and bit of positivity, I'm working on my prose and I absolutely love how I'd written this. 
> 
> What else, what else...
> 
> Oh! If you're interested, you can find me on Twitter at **unlockthelore**. It's my handle on Pillowfort, Tumblr, _and_ Instagram as well. For my original fiction, find me on Tapas where I'm writing **Legend of the Four Elemental Heroes**.
> 
> And I think that's about it.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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